Simple Pleasures
by Mystical Sand
Summary: Rogue handles life without her powers. Set after XTreme XMen Xpose 2. RogueGambit


Disclaimer: Marvel owns Rogue, Gambit and the rest of the X-Men. No profit is being made from this story.

Simple Pleasures

She leapt at him from behind, hoping to gain an early advantage. However, just as she was about to make contact, Gambit dipped his shoulder and reached back to flip her onto the mat. Rogue was on her butt before she even realized what had just happened.

Gambit wagged a finger at the angry woman in front of him. "I could hear your footsteps, Chere. You can't afford to be so reckless now that your powers are gone."

Rogue glared at him but made no effort to get back up, even when he reached out a hand to help her. One look at her face told him she was in a very bad mood and that he was treading on thin ice. Gambit shivered involuntarily. He didn't care what anyone said about Wolverine's so-called berserker rages. His girlfriend was scarier and, in her own way, much more dangerous. Gambit knew this was true even now. Or maybe, especially now.

They had spent the whole morning on the Cajun's idea of training. Rogue had not gotten much sleep the night before, and her boyfriend wanted to get an early start on his schedule. He had been worried about her ever since the incident at the bar.(1)

"Ah don't know how many times we've gone over this routine, Remy. It's time for a break."

He sighed and sat down next to her. "I'm just afraid you might get yourself in trouble again like you did with that gang of mutants. You can't just leap into the action like you usually do right now, Chere."

Rogue turned to face her boyfriend and looked him straight in the eyes. "Trust me, Remy. This is the most action you'll be seeing for a long time."

Gambit caught her meaning and shrank back. He wisely decided it was time to change the subject. "So how about we get a snack? I'm starving." The smile that crept across her face told him that he had narrowly averted a very dangerous situation.

Rogue let him help her up, and they made their way to the kitchen. The couple finally decided on frozen pizza after looking through their poorly stocked food supplies. "We'll have to go shopping in the next few days," the Southern Belle commented as she placed the pizza in the oven and set the timer.

She sat down across from him at the table. He took her hands in his own, marveling at the feel of her bare skin before kissing each of her fingertips. Rogue giggled. She felt like a schoolgirl experiencing her first date or a new wife who was starting out on her honeymoon. Suddenly having the ability to touch after so many years of isolation still seemed strange to her. She was excited, a little nervous, and yet happy all at the same time.

The couple stared into each other's eyes for several minutes before the timer went off, causing Rogue to jump. She went to turn off the stove and take the pan out but made the mistake of not putting on an oven mitt before grabbing it. Rogue was so used to her powers protecting her from all types of physical harm that the pain caused by such a simple appliance stunned her. She let out a short yelp and dropped the pan.

Gambit was instantly by her side. They walked over to the sink where Rogue held her hand under the cold, running water. As her boyfriend helped her, an unbidden memory came to the front of Rogue's mind.

"I'll bet even the pain feels a little good… Doesn't it?" Candra had asked her.(2) Rogue had been powerless then too. She hurt her shoulder in a fight against Belladonna. It had to be wrapped up. She could not remember the last time she had felt such pain. The feeling frightened her, and yet, this did open up a new possibility. She could touch Remy. Candra offered her the chance to stay like this forever, but she could not take it. She had to save Cody. He was in danger because of her, and she could not let him fall to his death. So Rogue fought Candra to regain her powers. It was a hard decision to make. Candra was right. The pain felt good. It let her know she was human.

For the first time since coming to the peaceful town of Valle Soleada, Rogue wondered if this could all last. Would she eventually have to regain her powers? Could she handle that again?

Rogue came out of her reverie to find her boyfriend still beside her and asking if she was all right. She said nothing and kissed his cheek. The sudden action confused Gambit, but he was not about to complain. The Cajun turned her face towards his and kissed her on the lips. He then found an oven mitt and set their lunch on the table.

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Later that day, Rogue walked alone along the beach's shoreline, enjoying the slight breeze over her skin and the cool water washing over her feet. She could not get the thought of her powers returning out of her head. She didn't want to have to place a barrier between herself and the rest of the world again after working so hard to become comfortable around others. What would happen to her relationship with Remy? Would they survive not having the ability to touch after becoming so accustomed to it? Several irrational ideas popped into her head. Normally, Rogue would have come to her senses sooner and realized she was being ridiculous. Today, however, she felt emotionally vulnerable. She felt as though her new life would soon come to an end.

Rogue looked up and saw a flock of birds passing by. They seemed so free, gazing down at the world below as they flew on. She wanted to join them, to feel the wind rush through her hair and ride above the clouds.

A single tear rolled down her cheek. Sometimes she wasn't sure what she wanted. Getting the best of both worlds seemed impossible. The closest she could possibly come involved finding a way to control her original mutant ability. Over the years, she had wanted to give up hope of this ever happening so many times but ultimately couldn't. Remy would never let her. He had so much faith in her. Letting him down would be devastating.

For the second time that day, Rogue's thoughts were interrupted. She caught sight of Dervish strolling towards her. The blonde girl smirked. She had all the confidence in the world. Why shouldn't she? Rogue had been humiliated during their last encounter, and there was no one to protect her this time around.

"Where's your boyfriend? Did he finally drop you for a real woman?"

Rogue sighed. It had been such a beautiful day, and this cow had to ruin it. She could feel her temper rising but did her best to keep it under control.

Dervish continued to taunt her. "He probably just pitied you, being a damsel in distress and all. I mean your attempt at fighting me was absolutely pathetic. You couldn't hold your own against a couple kids."

Rogue's blood boiled at the mention of her defeat. She had been so helpless. Her anger at the person who made her feel that way came rushing back. "This would be inappropriate conversation between ladies, Sugah. But since it's just the two of us, Ah don't mind mentioning that the only reason Ah lost was because Ah caught a whiff of that horrible perfume of yours. The stink is more dangerous than any weapon known to man. Almost knocked me out." It wasn't one of her sharper lines, but it did the trick. Dervish fumed and turned a bright red. Rogue continued, "Besides, we both know you never would have won without your powers. From the look of that belly, you could stand to spend a little more time at the gym."

Had Rogue wished at all to avoid a fight, it was too late now. Dervish's eyes flared. "I don't need my powers to deal with a dirty little skunk."

She threw a punch at her opponent, but Rogue blocked it and kicked her hard in the stomach. The Southern Belle hated to admit it, but Remy's training had helped. She noticed she was moving faster and building up her strength. While her opponent was winded, she took the opportunity to land a punch at her right eye. It instantly started to swell, and Rogue knew it would leave a huge black and blue mark. She felt satisfied but also began to get a little overconfident.

The fight went her way until she managed to knock Dervish over. The blonde girl swept Rogue's feet out from under her as she fell on the sand. Their legs were tangled for a moment, but Dervish was a little quicker in getting up. She used one arm to pin Rogue down and drew the other back to get ready to punch her.

Before she could make contact, a hand clamped down on her wrist. The women looked up to see Gambit standing over them, his face expressionless. He looked into Dervish's eyes, and Rogue could see that he was charming her again. The girl said nothing as she stood up. She jogged away but turned back once to blow Gambit a kiss.

Rogue got to her feet as well and faced away from her boyfriend. "We're going to have to start training bright and early again tomorrow, Chere," he said as he came up behind her. When she didn't respond, he continued, "That was one nasty black eye you gave her. It'll probably be shining for weeks. Maybe she finally knows not to mess with you." Gambit was relieved to see his girlfriend begin to smirk from his position over her shoulder.

He rubbed her shoulders, and Rogue felt the rest of her anger start to fade. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. "Sometimes you really do know how to calm me down."

"Chere, I am but your humble servant ready to use all of my abilities for your comfort at a moment's notice."

"Remy," she teased. "Do women really fall for these corny lines you come up with?"

"Why, Rogue. I'm hurt." He put a hand to his heart to feign offense. "I could give Tom Cruise and Orlando Bloom themselves tips on romance, and you just call my lines corny?" He favored her with a lopsided grin and a wink as she grunted in response. "Besides, my corny lines always make you feel better."

She shook her head, fighting the urge to smile at him. "Ah guess so."

"And if women don't like my words, this usually works." He swept her up in his arms and pulled her into a kiss before she could say another word. Then they walked back to their house, hand in hand.

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The couple spent a quiet evening at home sitting on the couch and watching a movie. Rogue relaxed, closing her eyes as Gambit massaged her back. "So, are you going to tell me what's been bothering you today?" he asked her. "Except for your new friend of course."

Rogue sighed and leaned back in his arms. She felt safe with him. Gambit pulled her closer and turned the television off before she started.

"Today was the first day Ah thought about my powers returning, Remy. Ah mean really thought about it. Ah've missed flying and lifting several tons, but then there's my original power. It's been my curse for so long, prevented me from getting too close to people. Now it's gone, and Ah'm so confused. It protected me too. It allowed me to set up barriers around myself. You were the first person to break through those barriers, and now we've had a chance to take our relationship even further. Ah've always wanted that, and Ah'm even getting used to it. But today it just hit me that this may not last. My powers could come back, and Ah still won't be able to control them. What will that do to us?"

Gambit turned Rogue's face towards his, making sure their eyes met before he started. "Chere, I love you. I don't care if your powers come back. I'll still love you. These last few weeks have been wonderful, but that's because we've spent them together. We'll have to get used to being more careful again if your powers return, but we'll get through it. At least I won't have to worry about you possibly getting hurt quite as much when there's trouble."

"You do worry too much, Remy."

"Maybe."

Rogue smiled. She placed to her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

Gambit responded by holding her tighter. "You taught me what love is, Rogue," he said. "I can face anything as long as you're by my side. Whenever we were apart in the past, it hurt so much. I felt like a piece of my heart was missing, and that feeling was unbearable. I can't stand to think of what would happen if you weren't in my life. It doesn't matter what obstacles we face. I've never wanted anything this badly. We're going to spend the rest of our lives together."

Rogue knew he meant what he said. She could feel it, and his words comforted her. Her uncertainties hadn't completely faded, but they were eased for the time being. "I love you," she whispered before drifting off to sleep in his arms.

The End

(1) X-Treme X-Men Xpose #2

(2) issue #4 of Rogue's first limited series


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